Improvement in grave-guards



UNITED STATEs PATENT EEIoE.

'AMos RANK, or sALEM, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAVE-GUARDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 156,465, dated November 3, 1374; application filed August'es, 1874.

To allwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, AMOS RANK, of Salem, l

in the county of Columbiana and State of Ohio, have invented certain Improvements in Grave-Guards, 85e., of which the following is a specification:

This invention is more particularly designed for retaining the mounds of graves in the desired elevated condition above the -surrounding ground; but it may also be employed for supporting the edges or borders of iioWer-beds, or the like, the object of this improvement being to provide a guard which shall have the appearance of solid metal, together with its non-liability to surface fracture or abrasion, and yet be capable of manufacture at a far less cost than a guard wholly metallic. To this end the invention consists in a guard formed of a hollow sheet-metal shell of suitable configuration, and constructed to receive, when desired, a filling of cement, plaster, or other material, which, while cheap and easily applied, will support the sheet metal against external pressure. The invention further consists in a novel means whereby provision is made for the reception and rm support in the guard of the head and foot stones of the grave or mound around or upon which the same may be placed.

Figure l is a plan view of a grave-guard made according to my invention. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view, and Fig. 3 a central longitudinal section, of the same.

The shell A is made of sheet-zinc, galvanized sheet-iron, or other suitable metal, and, as concerns its circumferential contour, may be made of various formsfor example, as shown in the drawings, vwith its two end portions, B, of rectangular shape, and projecting laterally beyond the main or central portion G', which latter is formed of two side pieces, with a space, D, between, which gives to the whole, as it were, an annular form.

It is preferred that in any event the circumferential surface should be flaring or sloping outward and downward from the upper eircumferential edge of the shell. The height of the latter is designed to be equal to the height at the edges of the mound to be guarded, the said mound, when the guard is applied, being situate within and filling the space D, so that the guard supports the edges of the mound, keeps them from crumbling or being trodden down, and maintains the mound in the desired symmetry, and at the requisite height above the surrounding surface of the ground.

The shell A is closed at its upper side, (except, of course, at the space 1),) and is therefore hollow underneath, as shown more fully in Fig. 3, but also indicated in Fig. 2. At each end it has a rectangular opening, G', into which is tted a socket, Il, of sheet metal, of corresponding shape, the upper edge of which is iirmly soldered or otherwise secured to the adjoining edges of the opening G. The end portions of the guard are preferably provided with upwardly-projecting pyramidal extensions A, that serve to increase the vertical bearing of the head and foot stones when such are put in position, as presently explained. The sockets I are designed to receive the head and foot stones of the grave to which the guard may be applied; and in order to strengthen them against the strain exerted by any lateral pressure on the said stones, each of the sockets l has radial braces, a, (formed of sheet metal arranged in vertical planes,) extending from it to the adjacent outer portions of the shell, as shown more fully in Fig. 2.

Constructed as described, the shell may be sold as an article of trade, but, ordinarily, previous to being placed around or upon the mound or grave, should be filled with cement, concrete, or other filling that, being or becoming hard, will sustain the sheet metal against external violence. By making the shell of sheet metal sufficiently thick to resist ordinary casualties, it may even be used without any other lling than one of earth or clay; but it is much preferred to fill the shell with a hard, rm concrete, cement, or artiiicial stone, that Will give to the guard the hardness and permanence of solid rock in connection with the metallic she-ll, such filling being indicated at N in Fig 3.

By making, the shell of suitable circumferential shape, and dispensing with the enlarged end portions and their head and foot stone sockets, the guard may be used for supporting the edges of iiower-beds and the like, in the same manner as, when made in the manner hereinbefore set forth, it isapplied for retaining in position the mounds of graves.

What I claim as rny invention is- 1. The sheet-metal shell A, constructed to surround a grave, mound, or bed' of earth, and made hollow underneath, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. Y

2. The combination of the hollowr sheetmetal shell A, constructed to surround a grave, mound, or bed of earth, and a filling of concrete, cement, artificial stone, or other solid material, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. I

3. The combination of the'sookets I and braces a With the hollow sheet-metal shell A, constructed to surround a grave, mound, or bed of earth, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

. AMOS RANK. Witnesses:

ORLANDO RANK, SYLVANUs F. REED. 

